Driving mechanism



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,699

H. F. SNYDER DRIVING MECHANISM 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 & a f 23 R mar5X07; @q owardlf'flyder;

Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,699

H. F. SNYDER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug 18. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l'rweniori' N N Q a? j/a war'djaj 4 6 I Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD F. SNYDER, OF NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE MAYTAG COMPANY, OF NEWTON, IOWA, A CQRPORATION OF DELAWARE. I

DRIVING nnonnivrsn'r.

Applicationfiled August 18, 1923. Serial no- 658,076.

The present invention relates to driving mechanisms and has moreparticular reference to the type of driving device used in Washingmachines having alternately rotating agitator-and wringer mechanismoperated from a common driving source, it

. being understood that such machine is here referred to as merelyillustrative of an adaptation or employment of the invention, of whichthere may be others without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a driving mechanism ofthe kind" disclosed with means for preventing or' precluding chuckingaction or slapping of the parts of the mechanism which might ordinarilyarise or occur from irregular operation of the driven apparatus or achange in the load imposed thereby upon the driving mechanism; withnovel means for *making reciprocatory operations of driven parts smoothwithout the annoyance of chucking or slapping noises as the reciprocatedmeans alternates in motion; with novel means for precluding chucking orslapping action and v the attendant annoying noises that mightordinarily arise from a change of load, as for example,'the throwing offof a load, such as the wringer mechanism of a washing machine while theremainder of the machine continues to operate, and where the loadedparts continuing to be driven might overrun or tend to over-run to theextent of effecting such chucking action; with means for imposing agiven normal load upon the mechanism so that whenpart of the operateddevice is thrown out of operation, such as when the wringer device isunolutched or stopped, the imposed load will still maintain the parts ofthe driving mechanism in driving engagement or relation whereby noback-lashing or slapping will occur or if any change in relation ofparts does occur it will be gradual and wholly unnoticeable; and toprovide for such other and further objects, advantages and capabilitiesas will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed by theinvention.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred adaptation of the invention,Fig. 1 is a part sectional view through a washing machine tub anddriving mechanism constructedin v1ew partly in top plan and partly insection dfthe driving mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview inseparated assembly of certaln details of the driving means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, one form of deviceselected to illustrate the invention is shown in connection with awashing machine having a tub I and the lower part of which is supportedand an" alternating reciprocatory liquid impelli'ng member 2 extendingdownwardly through the bottom of the tub in any suitable manner andconnected to a gear 3 with which is operatively meshed a rack 4 which iscapable of reciprocation and giving the llqllld impelling member analternating rotary motion,

The outer 'end portion of-pitman part 5 of the rack is formed with abearing hub 6 bored to receive a crank pin 7 either formmg an integralpart or :rigidly fastened to a cranlo arm 8 suitable secured to theupper end of a drive shaft 9 as by wayjof a cross pin 10, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. 1 f To the lower end portion of theshaft 9 is suitably keyed, as by a Woodruff key 11, a worm gear 12operatively engaged or meshed with a worm 13 secured to a horizontalshaft 14 having,.at an outer end thereof, adriving pulley 15 suitablyfastened to the shaft 14, "as byway of a set-screw, 16, as clearly shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The driving mechanism is enclosed in a housing comprising an uppersection 17, an

intermediate section'18 and a lower section .19 suitably connectedtogether and support ed partly by a bracket '20 fastened to a side ofthe tub 1 by means of bolts 21 and the .lower section having aperturedears 22 and 23 for attachment to a stationary part of the washingmachine. The lower section 19 is provided with bearings 24 and 25 forthe.

worm shaft 14 and thrust bearings 26 and 27 for thrust collars 28 and 29fastened to the shaft 14. The intermediate section 18 and lower section19 are provided with bean ings 3'0 and .81 for the vertical drive shaft9.

pin 34, is a second crank member or coupling plate 35 having a pair ofradially extending cou ling elements 36 formed with a notch 37 tierebetween for loosely receiving the pin 7 of the lower crank orcoupling element. The plate 35 has a smooth upper friction surface 38for the engagement therewith of a friction block 39, preferably a pieceof wood, capable of having frictional engagement with the surface 38 forimposing a frictional resistance or load drag thereon. The frictionalmember 39 is normally pressed against the plate 35 by any resilientelement such as a spring 40 whose tension or compression may beregulated by a regulating screw 41 threaded into a threaded socketformed in the upper section 17 of the housing, as clearly shown in Fig.1 of the drawings.

From the above it will be apparent that the driving mechanism operatestwo driven means, one including the pitman 5, rack 1 and the agitator awringer shaft 32 and the wringer mechanism connected thereto (notshown). In the operation of a washing machine, the wringer mechanism mayor may not be operating at the same time when the remainder of themachine is operating. It has been found that with usual constructions,prior to this invention, when the wringer load is disconnected or thrownoff there is a chucking or backslapping action causing an annoyingnoise. Also owing to variations in manufacture and looseness arisingfrom wear the alternate reeiprocation of the pitman 5 and the rack 4will also have chucking action between the bearing 6 and the pin 7 ofthe crank 8, also causing the same noise. In order to avoid this thefriction means, including the block 39, is provided to frictionallyengage with the disc 35 so as to impose upon it a resistance or load ordrag so that when the wringor is thrown out of operation, as byunclutching the same, there would still be a sufficient load or dra uponthe parts as to maintain the train of the driving mechanism in the samerelation as before without a change of relation of parts causingchucking or backlashing.

The bearing member 6 is also provided with an end friction surface 43against which presses the under surfaces of the projections 36 of thedisc 35, and the other end of the bearing member 6 has a bearing surface44 which frictionally engages with an annular portion 50 of the crank sothat there is frictional engagement between the bearing 6 and theprojections 36-as well as the crank portion 50. This frictionalengagement may be varied or regulated by the regulating screw 41pressing against the spring 40 and the friction member 39, which reactsagainst the disc 35 to impose pressure upon the bearing member 6 and thecrank 2 in the tub 1, and the otherportion 50. The shaft 32 togetherwith the disc 35 is longitudinally movable to the extent of permittingthis adjustment.

From the above it will be apparent that any tendency to chucking actionbetween the pitman 5 and the pin 7 will be checked or precluded by thefrictional engagement between the sleeve 6 of the pitman and theprojections 36 of the disc or plate 35 and the frictional portion 50 ofthe crank arm 8. In this way any tendency for the washing l1lGCl1-anism, including the pitman 5, to over-run at the ends of thereciprocations thereof will be prevented by the frictional engagement ofthe parts above mentioned and the chucking action or slapping noiseswill be avoided.

The present application discloses subject matter which is an improvementon the more generic details of construction shown in my pendingapplication Serial No. 177,888, filed June 16, 1921, for which broadsubjectmatter a divisional application is being filed.

\Vhile I have herein described and shown upon the drawings a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative thereof, and that it is not limited to the particularconstruction, details and arrangement of parts shown and described, butthat other constructions, details and arrangements of parts arecomprehended by the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a driving mechanism, a driving crank, means reciprocally driven bythe crank, means rotatively driven by the crank, and means imposing agiven frictional enga ement between the crank and the reciprocally androtatively driven means whereby tendency to chucking between the crankand reciprocably driven and rotatively driven means is prevented.

2. In a driving mechanism, a driving crank, a pitman pivotally connectedto the crank, a driven crank operatively connected to said drivingcrank, and means constantly pressing the pitman and driven crank againstthe driving crank in an axial direction for frictionally resistingchucking action between the pitman and cranks.

3. In a driving mechanism, a rotating driving member having a drive pineccentric to the axis of rotation of said member, a reciprocable drivingelement pivotally connected to the pin, a driven crank operativelyconnected to t e pin, and means causing axial frictional engagementbetween said element, crank and pin for resisting chucking actionbetween the same.

4. Ina driving mechanism' of the character disclosed, a rotatabledriving member having an eccentric driving element, a reciprocallydriven means rotatably connected to said element, a rotatably drivenmeans having an loo eccentric slot operatively receiving said ele-.ment, and resistance means for imposing a given load on said rotatablydriven means to eliminate chucking action of the element in the slot.

5. A silencing device for driving mechanisms, comprising a continuouslyrotatable member, friction means for imposing a given load on saidmember, a driving crank, said member cooperable with said crank to bedriven thereby, said crank and member having frictional engagement forpreventing over-running of said member.

6. In a drlving mechanism of the character disclosed, rotatable drivingand driven members, a coupling connected therebetween and havingelements in driving engagement with each other, a reciprocally drivenmeans connected to one of said elements, and means for imposing givenfrictional resistance in said engagement and said connection forpreventing chucking action between said elements and between saidreciprocally driven means and the element connected thereto.

7. In a driving mechanism of the character disclosed, alined rotatabledriving and driven shafts, means operatively coupling said shafts forcontinuous rotatability of the driven shaft and having eccentricallyconnected members forming a driving crank, a reciprocable elementconnected to said crank between said members, and means havingfrictional engagement with the driven member of the eccentricallyconnected members for urging said members into snug operative engagementand imposing a given load upon the driving mechanism whereby chuckingbetween the eccentrically connected mem hers is precluded.

. 8. In a drivin mechanism of the character disclosed, ahned rotatabledriving and driven shafts, means operatively coupling said shafts forcontinuous rotatability of the driven shaft and having eccentricallycon-.

nected members, a reciprocably driven means operatively connected to oneof said.

members, and means effecting given frictional engagement between saidreciprocably driven means and the member operatively connected theretofor precluding chucking action therebetween.

. 9. In a driving mechanism of the character disclosed, a drive shaft, adriven shaft, a reciprocable member, a loose coupling necting thedriving shaft to said riven shaft and to said reciprocable' member, and

means'for precluding chucking action between the parts ofthecoupling andbetween the" reciprocable member and the coupling.

10. In a driving mechanism, a. power driven member, means connected toand reciprocating-1y driven by said .power driven member, meansconnected to and rotatively driven by said power member and common meansfor elim nating loose play between for eliminating loose play when saidload is .removed.

12. In a driving mechanism of the character disclosed, alined rotatabledriving and driven shafts, means cooperatively coupling said shafts forcontinuous rotatability of the driven shaft, said means havingeccentrically disposed portions forming a driving crank, a reciprocableelement connected to said crank between said portions, and means havingfrictional engagement with the driven member of the eccentricallyconnected portions for imposing a given load upon the driving mechanismwhereby chucking between the eccentrically connected portions isprecluded.

13. In a device of the character described the combination of a powershaft having a crank arm and a crank pin, an aligned driven shaftadapted to carrya load or no load and having a crank arm adapted toengage the pin whereby said aligned shaft is continuously rotated fromthe power shaft, a pitman operatively driven by the crank arm andactuating a member in alternately reverse directions and means forretardin the rotation of the second shaft when there 1s no load on suchshaft. i 14. In a device of the character described the combination of apower shaft and an aligned driven shaft the latter being adapteddirections and means for retar ing the rotation of the aligned shaftwhen it has nov load.

1511s a device of the character described the combination of a powershaft having a crank arm formed with an outstandin pin, an aligneddriven shaft having a cran arm adapted to engage the pin so as to becontinuously rotated by the power shaft, a pitman engaging the pin ofthe crank arm, the crank arm of the driven shaft having a frictionsurface and a drag member pressing against said surface.

16. In a device of the character described the combination of a powershaft having a crank arm formed with an outstandin an aligned drivenshaft having a cranl arm adapted'to engage the pin so as to becontinuously rotated by the power shaft, a pitman engaging the pin ofthe crank arm and adapted to drive a member in alternate reversedirections, the crank arm of the driven shaft having a friction surfaceconcentrically surrounding the shaft, and a friction block adaptedresiliently to press against said surface, and means for adjusting thepressure of the friction block against said surface.

17. In a device of the character described the combination of a powershaft having a crank arm formed with an outstanding in, an aligneddriven shaft having a forke or slotted crank arm adapted to engage thepin so as to be continuously rotated by the power shaft, a pitmanengaging the pin of the crank arm and adapted to drive a member inalternate reverse directions, the crank arm of the driven shaft having afriction surface concentrically surrounding the shaft,

and a friction block adapted resiliently to press against said surfaceat the side opposite the connection of the arm and the pin.

18. In a device of the character described the combination of a powershaft having a crank arm formed with an outstanding pin, a pitman havingan apertured end mounted on said pin and adapted to actuate a memberalternately in reverse directions, an aligned shaft having a forked armconnecting with said pitman and pin so as to be continuously rotated bythe power shaft, said crank arm of the driven shaft having a frictionsurface concentrically surrounding the driven shaft, and a frictionblock adapted resiliently tovpress against the friction surface andthereby press the forked crank arm against the pitman.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

HOWARD F. SNYDER.

